Download and Play in 1.8 Beta...Drake Technologies (Alpha): More hardware for combat in parts 1 and 2!Godmode v3 (WIP): Dev/cheat tool compatible with D&O parts 1 or 2.
Download and Play in 1.7...Star Castle Arcade: Relive classic arcade gaming in a new Transcendence adventure!Playership Drones v8: Under construction!

Atarlost wrote:One concern with Steam is that it would split the community. They have their own community and their own mod library that aren't accessible to non-Steam people. If there's a reputable online game marketplace that doesn't try to provide a community that would better serve our ability to keep our own.

I don't know exactly how it will work.

As far as I can tell, the only requirement Steam imposes is that we use their payment system. They do not require us to use their forums, mod library, etc. My initial plan (for 2015) is to use their payment system and nothing else.

george moromisato wrote:(...) Either way, though, I think I need a special client because it will have CC+Eternity port bundled in. I need to talk to them to find out.

Why would CC+Eternity port need to be bundled in?

Steam won't approve a game unless they can make money from it. One way to do that is to have a bundle of Transcendence + CC + EP and sell it on Steam for $9.

Doesn't Steam allow for "free to play" games, that additionally offer "DLC", which are purchased?

What are the negative consequences of going with Steam?

True, it does. But I want to experiment with a bundle model and see if that's better in Steam [Remember that most unit sales on Steam are in their sales and discounted bundles. It seems that people on Steam are used to getting bundles. Perhaps they even prefer it.]

george moromisato wrote:(...) Either way, though, I think I need a special client because it will have CC+Eternity port bundled in. I need to talk to them to find out.

Why would CC+Eternity port need to be bundled in?

Steam won't approve a game unless they can make money from it. One way to do that is to have a bundle of Transcendence + CC + EP and sell it on Steam for $9.

Doesn't Steam allow for "free to play" games, that additionally offer "DLC", which are purchased?

What are the negative consequences of going with Steam?

True, it does. But I want to experiment with a bundle model and see if that's better in Steam [Remember that most unit sales on Steam are in their sales and discounted bundles. It seems that people on Steam are used to getting bundles. Perhaps they even prefer it.]

There are three things that steam users tend to want:

-Everything on sale absurdly cheap
-"CO-OP PLZ/MULTIPLAYA!!!1!" *shudder* (Seriously. This is in the forums for *every* single-player game I have in my library that's still being developed, and about half the ones that aren't)
-Various absurd requests that I'm sure we will enjoy (Examples from games I play: People suggesting the option to eat human corpses in The Long Dark, and people wanting zombies in This War of Mine *scream of incoherent rage*)

Cynicism aside though, a version with bundled content is likely to work well, especially if you also offer the base game for free alongside it. Not being a mainstream title is also likely to help reduce the amount of insanity.

The main downside of steam, as said by others, is fragmentation of the playerbase and infrastructure...which can definitely be handled, but will take some care.

(Edit: It should be noted that I'm also fond of multiplayer in my games (and indeed hold out a hope for one day in the far future seeing it in a Transcendence-based campaign). But there's a time and place to say it, and that is not "every 5 minutes in a brand new thread next to the 5 other threads with the same badly misspelled titles")